Join the cause

The Utah State Legislature passed a joint resolution
in 2012 approving the State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.
This plan outlined five major goals designed to combat Alzheimer’s disease.

These goals include:

1) Create a dementia-aware population;

2) Secure health and dignity for all with dementia
and those at risk.

3) Support and empower family caregivers.

4) Ensure a
dementia-competent workforce.

5) Expand
Alzheimer’s research in Utah. **The plan additionally calls for specific strategies to be implemented related
to each of these goals.

NEWS UPDATE!On
Thursday, February 5, 2015, House Bill 175 (HB 175) was voted on in the House
Health & Human Services committee and passed! HB 175 will now be put
before the entire House for a vote. Stay tuned for more information as it comes
in.

Background: In order to create a framework in which the
State Alzheimer’s Plan can be implemented, the Utah Chapter of the Alzheimer’s
Association is promoting legislation to identify Alzheimer’s disease and
related dementias as a public health issue, and specifically designate the Utah
Department of Health as primarily responsible to implement the State
Alzheimer’s plan into its strategic planning process. Representative Paul Ray
is sponsoring a bill (House Bill 175) designed to amend the duties of the Department of Health
in this way..

There are 28,000 people living with Alzheimer’s in
Utah. That number is expected to increase by 50% by 2025. Caring
for those with Alzheimer’s are 144,000 caregivers providing care at a total unpaid
cost of nearly 2 billion dollars. These numbers are
staggering.

The Alzheimer’s Association, Utah Chapter invites you to become an Alzheimer advocate. Join us and speak up for the needs and rights of people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families.

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up-to-date on the latest advances in Alzheimer's treatments, care and
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What is an advocate?

Alzheimer advocates play an important role in improving the quality of care and quality of life for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families by working to improve dementia care and services; improve access to community-based care; improve quality care in residential settings; and expand funding for research and public programs serving people with dementia.

As an advocate, you will:

Receive regular updates about current legislative and public policy issues.

Stay on top of policy and legislative issues through alerts and updates.

Make calls or write to legislators to forward public policy priorities to improve quality of life for those living with Alzheimer’s.

Utah Alzheimer's State Plan

For a copy of the Utah State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, please contact Melissa Lee at mlee@alz.org.

Federal advocacyNational Alzheimer’s Plan Updated

On Friday, June 14 2013, the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) released theNational Plan to Address
Alzheimer’s Disease: 2013 Update.

This updated version of the National Plan
includes a summary of progress achieved so far as well as new goals in the
areas of research, care and services. Highlights of the updated plan include
additional action steps that HHS and its partners will take, such as:

Development of a unified
Alzheimer’s disease training curriculum for primary care providers.

Expansion of efforts to detect
and address elder abuse and neglect, including demonstration grants to
help promote legal services groups that assist families and communities
impacted by Alzheimer’s.

Development of an expanded
Dementia Capability Toolkit to help communities provide dementia services.

It's Time To Get Smart About Alzheimer's Research
Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America and is set to increase
like no other. It’s estimated that Alzheimer’s costs to our country will soar
to over $1.2 Trillion per year by 2050. In addition to those costs, billions
more are being spent by caregivers as they struggle to care for the millions of
loved ones with this disease.

Despite these
staggering costs to our nation, chronic underinvestment continues in
Alzheimer’s disease research. For every $27,000 spent caring for those with
Alzheimer’s, a mere $100 is spent on research. That just doesn’t make sense.
Smart investments in other conditions have shown great success and are paying
off, both in terms of cost AND lives saved.

Estimates show that if we simply had a treatment that
delayed onset of Alzheimer’s by just five years, Medicare spending on those
with the disease would decrease by 45 percent in 2050, and the physical,
emotional and financial burden on caregivers would be reduced.